TJie Scottish Naturalist 115 



of the hen is the very top of the larch, which swings to and fro 

 by the weight of the bird. When sprung, she emits a cry like 

 the syllable whut, repeated rapidly over and over again. The 

 capercailzie flies swiftly, so much so, that I have seen the head 

 of one cut clean off by a wire before it could draw up. The 

 great size of the bird, however, makes the speed of its flight 

 very deceptive, when seen moving through an open space. The 

 hen is only about half the size of the cock. I know of one 

 instance in which the capercailzie and black-cock crossed, a 

 pair of the hybrid* having been shot near Perth a few years ago. 



* One of the above hybrids is now in the collection of the Perthshire Society of 

 Natural Science, presented to it by Mr. J. Lamb.— R. P. 

 Perth, April, 1871. 



Notes on Lepidoptera.— Thecla rubi.— This species is, I think, certainly 

 only single brooded here ; I have found it in May, but never in August. 



T. quercus.—l have found this butterfly in every little clump of oak trees 

 round here. One day last summer I watched a group of eight or ten sporting 

 round an oak tree on the front of Moncrieffe Hill. They flew round and round 

 thejtree, sometimes going high up in the air, at another away from the tree, but 

 always coining back to it again, and always keeping out of reach of the net. 



Tephrosia crepi4scularia. — I find this moth on the north side of Moncrieffe 

 Hill. It appears about the 20th of April, and sits during the daytime on the 

 trunks of the larches, at a height of from one to four feet from the ground, 

 where it strongly resembles a piece of lichen. The female conceals the eggs in 

 chinks of the bark, or in the heart of the buds which are then about half open. 

 The larva feeds on the larch. 



Dasydia obfuscata. — This species is found among the rocks on Moncrieffe 

 Hill, but is very local. It rests on the rocks with its wings spread wide, and 

 pressed very close to the rock. On the approach of anything the moth starts up 

 and flies high in the air. It is difficult to get specimens in good condition, on 

 account of the force with which they fling themselves by their wings off the 

 rock, which is covered with small, sharp, and hard pieces of lichen, which 

 scratch and cut the wings in a few hours. This insect is greatly overrun with 

 small pink parasites, which stick close to the body, wings, and legs. I have 

 taken from twelve to fifteen of these parasites upon one moth. The caterpillar 

 may be found feeding on heather, from September till June, but when reared 

 in confinement, the moth is generally smaller, and without the beautiful gloss and 

 green brindle. Ants are very destructive to the eggs and young larvae ; I have 

 seen them cut the eggs from the stalk of heather on which they were, laid, and 

 catch and carry off the young larvae to their nests. 



Gnophes obscuraria — This moth resembles the last-mentioned very much in 

 its habits, but is not so readily disturbed, and does not fly so very far. When 



